foster



Jan. 24, 1956 2,732,211

E. H. FOSTER MOVABLE CHECKERBOARD GAME DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledAug.21, 195,2v

EafZ'HFosZer BY z ATTORNEYS INVENTOR Jan. 24. 1956 FOSTER MOVABLECHECKERBOARD GAME DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1952 JuMY &M wm m OtN J Ea 7" Z HFO s a f ATTORNEYE United States Patent 2,732,211MOVABLE CHECKERBOARD GAlVlE DEVICE Earl Hagin Foster, Los Angeles,Calif. Application August 21, 1952, Serial No. 305,663 1 can. (or.273*1'3'1 This invention relates to a movable checkerboard game, and hasas its primary object the provision of a novel game similar toconventional checkers, but embodies movable or reversible squareswhereby an improved and highly entertaining game of skill is provided.

A further object of the invention is the provision of square playingsurface sections having different colored sides normally positioned on aconventional type checkerboard, and adapted to be reversed at the optionof the player to alter the course of play.

A more specific object is the provision of such square playing surfacesections provided with means to facilitate the reversal thereof by thefingers.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedgameboard construction which will add variety to the moves of a checkergame, and which Will provide a novel game requiring a high degree ofskill in the playing thereof.

Still other objects reside in a combination of elements, arrangement ofparts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointedout hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein thereis shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a conventional checkerboard showing thesquare playing surface sections of the instant invention disposedthereon, certain of the members being omitted, in one of the positionswhich might be assumed during the play of the game,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theline 2-2 of Figure 1, as viewed in the direction indicated bythe arrows,

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the square playing surface sections,

Figure 4 is a view showing the reverse side of the section of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the gameboard showing onearrangement of the playing surface sections,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, showing still anotherarrangement of the playing surface sections.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is disclosed at 10 aconventional checkerboard of any desired customary form, including thecustomary number of a1- ternate black and red squares, designated as 11and 12 respectively. The board may be of the foldable type having a foldline 10a, and is preferably provided with a marginal flange or rim 10b.Adapted to be positioned on each individual square 11 and 12 is asubstantially rectangular playing surface section 13, one side of whichis preferably red as indicated at 13a in Figure 3, and the opposite sideof which is black as indicated at 13b in Figure 4. The rim 10b serves toretain the playing surface sections 13 in desired position on the board.While the figures of the drawings are lined for red and black inaccordance with the customary colors of a checker- 2,732,21 l PatefitedJan. 24, 1956 2 board, it will be understood that any other suitablecontra ting colors may be emplo ed if desired.

Each of the playing surface sections 13 is provided in a proximately thecenter of each side thereof with a cutbut finger engaging portion 14,the arrangement being such that when two playing surface sections are injuxtaposed relation, as indicated in Figure 1, adjacent cutout portions14 form a circular or ovoid recess or depression into which the fingermay be inserted for the purpose of lifting and overturning a selectedplaying surface section '13'. v 7

Conventional black and red checkers 15 and 16 respectively are utilizedas game pieces, although if desired other game pieces such as chess menmay be employed.

Various rules of play may be utilized, but in the preferred embodimentthe playing surface sections 13 are positioned on the board in alternatearrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the squares of the board10 upon which they are positioned. The checkers 15 and 16 are thenplaced on the playing surface sections 13 in the conventionalarrangement for the starting of a game of checkers, all the checkersbeing positioned on a playing surface section of the same color, as forexample all checkers on black pieces or all checkers on red pieces.

One form of game played with this device may incorporate the followingrules:

1. Proceed to play checkers in the usual manner with the followingprivileges.

2. One has the privilege of either moving one of his men or turning asquare over. The square must be adjacent to at least one of his men.

3. The opponent cannot turn the square back to its original positionwithout an intervening play having been made.

4. Players are privileged to jump side ways with a man but notbackwards. Either King or man must jump in a straight line over theopponent, but can go in another direction after completing a jump if heis so lined up to jump another man as in checkers.

5. Kings have the usual privilege of going forward or backwards.

6. If the contending players are reduced to one man or King each, theyboth lose the privilege of turning over squares. In other words, theboard is frozen as it is.

Obviously other selected rules may be employed, so long as the basicpattern is followed in that the reversal of a square playing surfacesection to change the color thereof constitutes a move and changes thepattern of play of the game.

Obviously various arrangements of playing surface sections 13 willresult in a multiplicity of possible arrangements of the playing portionof the board, these different arrangements being illustrated in one formthereof by the diflerent arrangements of sections in Figures 1, 5 and 6.Obviously a vast variety of arrangements is possible, and a consequentmultiplicity of moves and plays, all of which tend to provide a game ofrelatively high complexity and high entertainment value.

As various embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and asvarious modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shownand described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

In combination with a square checkerboard of the type having anupstanding peripheral flange surrounding a plurality of squares of onecolor and an equal plurality of squares of another color with thesquares arranged with colors alternating in both a lateral andlongitudinal direction, a plurality of flat reversible square playingsurface sections equal in number to the squares of both colors of saidcheckerboard, said sections being supported on said checkerboard, eachof said sections having one side colored to substantially match thefirst color of the squares on said checkerboard and the opposite sidecolored to substantially match the second color of the squares on saidcheckerboard, with each section positioned over a corresponding squareon said checkerboard with the exposed color on each section initiallycorresponding to the color of the square supporting the section, each ofsaid sections having finger-engaging cutout portions on each marginaledge thereof to facilitate reversal thereof with the cutout portions ofadjacent sections being juxtaposed to form a recess therebetween of thesize to permit insertion of a finger therein, a plurality of checkersand a second plurality of checkers having a color contrasting to that ofsaid first plurality of colors, said first and sec- 15 0nd plurality ofcheckers being movably supported on said playing surface sections, saidplaying surface sections being individually reversible to produce aplaying surface section pattern varying from the established startingpattern.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS809,502 Hale Jan. 9, 1906 1,024,704 Snyder Apr. 30, 1912 1,165,688 MarisDec. 28, 1915 1,615,077 Gouldin Ian. 18, 1927 2,585,268 Olsen Feb. 12,1952 I FOREIGN PATENTS 435,718 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1935

